HIGHWORTH'S rally duo, Shelly Taunt and Julie Murphy, again scored valuable BTRDA Rally Championship points by finishing 21st out of 110 starters on the North Humberside Forest Rally.

The event, based in Whitby, North Yorkshire, saw competitors from across the UK battle it out on some of the fastest stages in England.

Taunt and Murphy clocked a speed of 111mph on one of the event's longest gravel stages.

The Rally comprised only four stages, two of them being 13.5-miles long. Artificial chicanes had been built to keep the speeds down.

The warm weather had dried the stages out and they became fast because some of the straights were up to a mile long.

Crews said it was "like driving on a motorway".

Taunt and Murphy's GlobalExpense, Silverstone Rally School, Guest & Fiore Bricklayers, ASF, Mazadlos Ltd and Silverstone Competition Tyres-supported Subaru Impreza ran without fault.

However, Taunt made a driving error by running tight into a corner, clipping a large bank on the inside and bending the anti-roll bar to make the steering heavy.

The girls had to complete a six-mile stage before they could return to service for repairs.

Despite the damage, the car continued running well and they managed to make it back.

During a 40-minute service stop, their crew replaced the anti-roll bar. Taunt's handbrake had also become tired and by the last 13.5-mile stage it had given up completely.

Unfortunately, the pair had overshot on two of the tight hairpins and seconds were lost.

However, the duo were happy with the result, which moves Taunt to sixth overall in the BTRDA Rally Challenge Drivers standings and Murphy into second overall in the Co-Driver's section.

The Team will now prepare for the first round of the second Championship they are competing in. The Pirelli National Rally, based in Carlisle, will start on Saturday, April 21.